Museum Theft and water damage: Louvre employees continue to strike
Hundreds of tourists waited in vain for the Louvre to open on Wednesday. According to the union, the museum employees voted to continue their strike, which began on Monday.
17.12.2025, 11:22
SDA
"It's frustrating, we traveled from Canada and came extra early," said 41-year-old vacationer Jesse Henry, who stood in line with his wife and children on Wednesday.
The Louvre has been criticized for delayed renovation work and overcrowding with almost nine million visitors a year. The employees are also protesting against cuts to staff numbers, which currently stands at around 2,200.
At the beginning of December, major water damage became known in which hundreds of documents in the Egyptology Library were damaged. The incident reignited the debate about security at the famous Parisian museum. "The protection of the collections and the safety of staff and visitors are not sufficiently guaranteed," emphasized the CFDT-Culture union.
A spectacular theft of jewels in October revealed numerous shortcomings at the Louvre. Museum director Laurence des Cars was due to testify before the Senate Culture Committee on Wednesday afternoon. The four suspected Louvre thieves are in custody, but there is no trace of the stolen crown jewels.
Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a renovation program to give the Louvre a new monumental entrance and a dedicated exhibition space for Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" - one of the most famous paintings in the world.
